


Aura

by TimelessDreamer2



Category: Person of Interest (TV)
Genre: AU?, Birthday Presents, Gift Fic, M/M, My Sad Attempt at a writing exercise, Synesthesia
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-08-16
Updated: 2014-08-16
Packaged: 2018-02-13 09:05:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 496
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2144949
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TimelessDreamer2/pseuds/TimelessDreamer2
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Harold has synesthesia, it colors everything in his life, both the good and the bad.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Aura

**Author's Note:**

  * For [shibarifan01](https://archiveofourown.org/users/shibarifan01/gifts).



> I started this as a writing exercise, to help me with my descriptive writing. This is now ShibariFan01's birthday gift. I hope she and you all approve... just the prologue for now.... A serious work in progress.
> 
>  
> 
> I know, I am a bad person. I owe poor Mavet the rest of her prompt, and I owe Wanderer like a YEAR of chatting and so many other vids to make... but no... I gotta start this.. I am so sorry...
> 
>  
> 
> *IMPORTANT*
> 
> Synesthesia is a neurological phenomenon in which stimulation of one sensory or cognitive pathway leads to automatic, involuntary experiences in a second sensory or cognitive pathway. People who report such experiences are known as synesthetes.
> 
> Chromesthesia - A common form of synesthesia is the association of sounds with colors. For some, everyday sounds such as doors opening, cars honking, or people talking can trigger seeing colors. For others, colors are triggered when musical notes and/or keys are being played. Some people with synesthesia related to music may also have perfect pitch because their ability to see/hear colors aids them in identifying notes or keys.
> 
> Lexical-gustatory synesthesia - A rare form of synesthesia where certain tastes are experienced when hearing words. For example, the word basketball might taste like waffles. It is estimated that 0.2% of the population has this form of synesthesia

The brain is a mysterious thing. Despite all the amazing things doctors can now do there are some that they still cannot explain. Harold Finch knew this, knew that no matter how skilled the doctor, or how much money one had, some things were incapable of being changed. Like the fact that Harold’s hip will never move as easily again, that his neck will never turn again, or that after the incident at the ferry… Harold was now a synesthetes.

  
  


It was an odd thing to get used to, seeing colors around a person as they spoke, shades of blue and red, growing darker or lighter as the tone changed, fading as emotions tinted the sounds. Knowing that every time he spoke, Harold would see a swirl of turquoise, that when he said certain words, he could taste something without having any food nearby.

 

It wasn’t so bad in the very early days after the incident, as Harold insured that he was mostly alone. But after he started working again, started trying to help the numbers alone, the colors startled him at nearly every turn. It took time, a great deal of research and quite a bit of trial and error, but eventually he figured out a way to make it an asset rather than a defect.

 

*****

 

It became a secret fascination for Harold, what color would be associated with which person. The dark green of Reese’s low rasp, the way his name tasted ofa dark roast coffee and chocolate, or the brilliant red of Carter’s lilt, her name bringing the hint of strawberries, even the majestic purple that floated around Fusco, his title leaving Harold’s tongue filled with maple doughnuts. For a while he was content, learning observing, making careful notes of color changes, assigning them mood or emotion,  resolutely pressing the question aside. What color would Nathan have been?

 

It wasn’t always a pleasant thing, Root for example had been a cheery yellow, that darkened to an almost rusty color as she spoke,  the color fading and changing as she prattled on about this and that. Her name, when Harold chose to speak it, tasted oddly of spun sugar and rotten apples. Grace, when Harold spoke of her, always, brought a rush of honey, Nathan the tang of bourbon and pine, and the numbers… now matter the name, the person, when Harold spoke their names… he always had to brush his teeth shortly afterward, to get rid of the thick tang of rotten eggs and broken dreams.

 

*****

 

Harold, who even before the incident, was an extremely private person. He had no intentions of telling anyone that he had synesthesia. Certainly not Reese, who seemed to enjoy trying to weasel out any kind of information he possibly could about Harold. Instead, he preferred to sink into the colors and tastes that now filled his world, using them much like he did his computer talents, as a tool to either help the numbers or protect himself.

 

 


End file.
